Vietnam president to visit Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — Vietnam President Tô Lâm will undertake a state visit to the Philippines from May 31 to June 1, Malacañang announced yesterday.

The Vietnamese leader, who is also the general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, will hold a bilateral meeting with President Marcos, where they will discuss ways to further boost the five-decade robust cooperation between the two Southeast Asian nations.

Discussions between the two leaders will focus on more dynamic collaboration in trade and investment, food security, defense and maritime cooperation, education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.

This will mark the first state visit of Vietnam’s party leader to the Philippines.

The visit will hold a special significance as it comes at the cusp of the 50th anniversary of Philippine-Vietnam diplomatic relations and a decade of the two countries’ strategic partnership, the PCO noted.

Vietnam is the Philippines’ sole strategic partner in Southeast Asia. It is home to more than 7,000 Filipinos.

The Philippine consulate general in Ho Chi Minh is set to open in mid-2026.